09 April,2009 05:44 PM IST | | IANS
A court on Thursday postponed a hearing involving Congress leader Jagdish Tytler in a case relating to the 1984 anti-Sikh violence here.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which has filed its closure report in the case last week giving a clean chit to Tytler, argued before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Rakesh Pandit that the court did not have the power to try the case as it involved charges under section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), that is, murder. Only a sessions court can try a case of murder.
The court summoned the video CD of statements by two witnesses, made before the CBI in the US earlier this year, and adjourned the proceedings to April 28-29. The magistrate said he would hear both sides on those two days before taking a decision on the matter.
Tytler, a former central minister, has been nominated by the Congress as Lok Sabha poll candidate from Northeast Delhi. The clean chit has sparked off widespread protests by members of the Sikh community in Delhui and Punjab.
Tytler pulls out of LS race
In the face of mounting controversy over his alleged involvement in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, Congress leader Jagdish Tytler announced his decision to pull out of the Lok Sabha elections saying he does not want to cause embarrassment.
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"My heart says a lot of embarrassment has been caused to the party. I don't think I should fight," he told a press conference here amidst speculation that the party would keep him out of the fray.
He said he has left the decision to Congress president Sonia Gandhi to decide whether he should contest in view of the 'vicious campaign' launched by BJP and Akali Dal and the 'atmosphere' created by the media.
Sixty-five-year-old Tytler, who had won thrice from the capital, was announced as party's candidate from the newly-created North-East Delhi seat. His candidature became a subject of renewed controversy in the wake of a Sikh journalist lobbing a shoe at Home Minister P Chidambaram on Tuesday protesting against the clean chit to him given by the CBI.
